WASHINGTON WATCH

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, July 8, 1998

Democratic fund-raiser Maria Hsia, already charged with disguising illegal campaign contributions to President Clinton's re-election, has been indicted on federal income tax charges.

Hsia, who also is an immigration consultant, was charged by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles on Tuesday with failing to file a 1994 income tax return, filing false 1995 and 1996 income tax returns that underreported her taxable income, and helping file a false 1995 corporate tax return.

Hsia, a 47-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in Taiwan, has been free on $50,000 bond awaiting trial on the campaign finance charges that were filed last February.

After former Little Rock, Ark., restaurateur Charlie Trie, Hsia was the second figure charged by the campaign finance task force, which also investigated Tuesday's tax allegations along with the Internal Revenue Service.

Gun safety bill&lt;

Taking aim at a leading contributor to youth violence, President Clinton called on states and Congress Wednesday to tighten restrictions on children's access to guns.

The president is backing a bipartisan Senate bill that would hold adults criminally responsible if they allowed children easy access to loaded firearms.

The proposal, co-sponsored by Sens. John Chafee, R-R.I., and Richard Durbin, D-Ill. would impose penalties on gun owners when juveniles get hold of their guns and use them against another person, show them in a public place or take one to school.

The penalties would not apply when the owner has used a trigger lock or kept the gun in locked storage.

Under the Chafee-Durbin proposal, an adult who left a loaded gun in a bureau drawer, for example, would face criminal penalties if the gun were used by a child to harm someone.

Victims' rights&lt;

The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted for a constitutional amendment that would establish new rights for victims of violent crime.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and co-sponsor Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said a constitutional amendment was needed because efforts by states to guarantee basic rights for crime victims were inconsistent or sometimes ignored.

Those who oppose amending the Constitution argued that the goal could be achieved through federal legislation.

The committee voted 10-6 Tuesday to send the proposal to the full Senate for a vote. A similar version is pending in the House, but has not been voted on.

Proposals to amend the Constitution require approval by two-thirds of the House and Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the states.&lt;